I didn’t really think Ryan was holding out on me when it came to photos from the 75th Anniversary Peterbilt truck show but he was! He was trying to keep this long nose from the world.
And this bubble nose with drom box!
And this!
And more! Once again, thanks to Ryan for sharing.
Usually walking around in freezing temperatures with precipitation falling from the sky places me in a foul mood but add the prospect of seeing some snow plow action and suddenly I gain the ability to stay outside for hours. Funny how that works. Anyway, some foolishly named weather system passed through the area yesterday dropping a decent amount of snow right in the middle of the day. At lunch I took to the streets hoping to catch the action. Right out of the gate I was greeted with an International Paystar5000 4×4. As usual a econobox Honda (always a Honda!) conspired to force my hand and tried to block my shot. My back up shot turned out okay but it wasn’t what I wanted.
I began to wander the nearby blocks in a grid pattern hoping to cross paths with the numerous plows I kept seeing in the distance. I figured they would take a similar approach to plowing. No such luck. It appears each driver does their own thing. Picking and choosing what streets to plow completely at random. I’m sure there is a process but I haven’t deciphered the code….yet.
Up next was this International WorkStar. Unlike the rest of the trucks I would see later in the day this one provided me with ample time for a decent shot.
Do you remember my white whale from last season in the form of an International 2574 Marmon-Herrington 4×4? It showed up again yesterday and yet again it escaped without providing a decent footage. My camera behaves like I’m trying to shoot Bigfoot or a UFO around this truck. The photos always come out fuzzy. Truthfully I didn’t have enough time to focus correctly due to the falling snow. If you really want to get nit picky I believe the city has two of these truck so I’m not even sure which one I haven’t been able to grab these past two years. Either way this was the end result. Look at the beautiful snowflakes with a defocused plow. So artistic!
Later, I saw the newer single axle 4×4 International WorkStar and new tandem axle WorkStar with Henderson body blasting through nearby intersections. I was starting to get frustrated with being in the wrong place at the wrong time when my original truck, the Paystar, returned. This time a sure footed Dodge Dakota blasted into the frame at the last second. *rage face*
Fumbling around I switched to video and was able to pull out a decent save.
I declare the 2015 snowplow stalking season to be open!
Will wonders ever cease! I found a Brockway 758 (?) tanker hiding practically in my backyard. If my model guess is correct the age of this truck is somewhere in the 35 year old range. At the time of the discovery there was no way to gain closer access to this truck for inspection (please observe all no trespassing signs) so we’ll have to make do with this long zoom enhanced photo. Body-wise this truck is on the rougher side of the spectrum. You can see rust all over the doors and rocker panels but the sheet metal does seem to be free of any major dents. Engine make and running condition is unknown. Anyone care to hazard a guess on past life activity based on color and former decal locations noted on the door?
This old Brockway currently resides at Clifton Recycling as some form of yard worker. It keeps company with more modern Mack and Volvo trucks which can be considered distant relatives. Make sure you stop by the Clifton website as they have some cool photos of the operation and trucks. In the future I would like to stop by during the business day to talk with someone about this truck but my hours don’t sync with their so until then let the speculation run wild. For anyone in the area the Brockway resides right behind the Clifton site office. If you’re in the neighborhood stop by and check on it but please let me know what you find out!
I’ve heard a lot about the Western Star 4900 you see below but I have never seen it in person. It’s pretty famous around these here parts with a press release on the Western Star Trucks website and the official fan community of Star Nation. Outside of the digital world chances are high you will see this truck involved in the recovery of the worst wrecks and accidents. If you follow the Big Red Towing facebook page you’ll see how easy the experienced operators along with this truck make it look to pull loaded semis out of snow covered ditches or dismantle strange looking industrial machines.
The Facts:
I spied this truck heading away from the local Frieghtliner/Western Star dealer so most likely it had just dropped off the latest job. Just another day at the office.
When Autocar develops a truck cab they stick with it for decades. Remember the Driver’s Cab? It debut in the mid 1950’s and was with us in some form or another for the next thirty years. Much like the DC, the Xpeditor cab seen below has been around long enough to recoup any investment on tooling. While most commonly found on garbage trucks this particular model is attached to a Grove Crane for J&J Structures Inc.
*Update* Make sure you check out the comments below regarding the history of the ACX cab and its predecessors. While they appear similar on the outside they are worlds apart in construction and functionality.
Would you like to help keep Autocar Mondays alive? Send in your photos to eric@dailydieseldose.com
This past summer I was awash in heavy construction footage. With the sheer amount of heavy equipment infesting the downtown area I had my pick of machines and trucks to video and photograph. This Volvo ECR305CL became so common place to me that I eventually stopped posting and sharing my footage of it on this website. Every week I would watch as this machine would dismantle entire streets and sidewalks down the very utilities that course beneath our feet. Browsing through the DDD archives yesterday I was amazed that the photos and videos seen below never had their own moment in the sun. It’s hard to believe the Volvo was on the job nearly every day of every week for the entire summer and I only have four minutes of footage to show for it. Better the nothing I suppose! The diesel tank is always half full around here.
The video begins with the ECR305CL picking through rubble with railroad tracks and ties strewn about. In case you were wondering the tracks and ties were just below the pavement. Maybe 6 to 8 inches at the very most. Syracuse is a progressive city. 😉
I’ve found a few other overlooked gems from this past summer that I plan on sharing in the coming days so stay tuned!
While covering the action of the Harrison Street repaving job a few months back I noticed these two Mack DM’s of Fellows Trucking running through the area.
Slightly rough around the edges and with just the right sound these old Macks were a site to behold among a sea of modern cookie cutter trucks.
At one point I was able to catch one as it idled in traffic. Mack engine fans turn up the volume.
Below is the lineup of the Bloomfield CT Public Works Department as it appeared in the mid 1950’s. Working from left to right we see some unknown equipment Jacobsen reel gang mower, a Michigan loader, a unknown truck (possible GM product), a Chevy pickup, a International L-Series pickup, an Autocar (possible AWD), a S-Series International, four Diamond T’s, a grader (lasted until at least 2011) and finally a Ford pickup. Identities of the men pictured are unknown.
Jumping forward a few years we seen that line up has changed (back row) with the addition of FWD, a B-Model Mack, newer Diamond T’s, a possible Reo, another IHC and the Autocar from the earlier photo. The second row brings us an Austin Western Super 88 Grader, a Michigan loader, an Austin Western sweeper, possible Case or IH backhoe, A and B series International flatbeds. Up front we have an International B-Series pickup, along with a Chevy and Ford pickup.
We can peg these photos prior to 1965 based on the location of the garage and the expert knowledge of David who served as the director of the BPWD for 24 years. Great stuff!
Yes, I still have more Peterbilt photos to share with you. This is the last group…unless Ryan has some he has been holding back from sharing. I’ll start out with this neat looking setback axle Pete of the Dennis Chan collection. I like the industrial vib of this truck. Plenty of heavy sheet metal, no unnecessary chrome. A rare look for a Peterbilt.
Man, this is one sharp looking truck from Von Euw & Nunes Trucking. Do they really haul dirt and stone in this rig? Hard to believe.
I believe these photos speak for themselves! Thanks again to Ryan for the share.
Highway Thru Hell, my favorite Canadian export, is set to return to The Weather Channel this Sunday, December 7th. This season the Jamie Davis crew will be split between two locations with Adam heading to Alberta and Jamie staying on the Coquihalla. Double the locations double the wrecks! To wet your appetite here is the season three trailer. It looks like Al Quiring may play a larger roll in the show this year? And what about the day cab wrecker shown in the final shot. I can’t make out the make or model.
Despite my excitement I have a bone to pick. I know the Weather Channel exists to broadcast weather but last season the show was preempted so many times to discuss, often in painful detail, winter storms across the continental U.S. that the entire season stretched until March. Nothing like firing up the DVR only to find out you have an hour of people discussing Sheboygan Wisconsin snowfall. Let’s hope for calm weather on Sunday and Monday nights.
Highway Thu Hell Season 3 premieres in the U.S. Sunday December 7th at 10pm EST.
